Listed below are English sportsmen and sportswomen of note and some notable individuals born in England.
A
Barney Aaron (Young) (1800–1850), lightweight boxer, Hall of Fame Harold Abrahams (1899–1978), athlete, Olympic champion (100-metre sprint) and silver (4x100-metre relay), one of the two subjects of the 1981 historical sports drama film Chariots of Fire Sir Sidney Abrahams (1885–1957), Olympic long jumper Chris Adams (1955–2001), professional wrestler and judoka Neil Adams (born 1958), judoka and two-time silver medalist in judo (1980 and 1984); younger brother of Chris Adams Nicola Adams (born 1982), two-time Olympic gold medallist and former world champion boxer Tony Adams (born 1966), footballer Trent Alexander-Arnold (born 1998), footballer Edward Allen, footballer Dele Alli (born 1996), footballer Malcolm Allison (1927–2010), football manager Simon Andrews (1984–2014), Isle of Man TT rider Jo Ankier (born 1982), Britain, record holder (1,500-metre and 3,000-metre steeplechase) Willie Applegarth (1890–1958), track and field athlete James Arnott, footballer Dina Asher-Smith (born 1995), fastest British woman; world champion (200-metre Doha 2019) Graham Atkinson (1943–2017), footballer
B
Joe Baker (1940–2003), footballer and manager George Baldry (1911–1987), footballer Alan Ball (1945–2007), member of the 1966 World Cup winning team Billy Balmer (1875–1961), footballer Gordon Banks (1937–2019), goalkeeper of 1966 World Cup winning team Sir Roger Bannister (1929–2018), first sub-four-minute miler Robert Barker (1847–1915), footballer Donny Barnard (born 1984), footballer Wade Barrett (born 1980), WWE wrestler Cliff Bastin (1912–1991), footballer Arthur Bate (1908–1993), footballer Lord Frederick Beauclerk (1773–1850), cricket player and administrator David Beckham (born 1975), footballer Jude Bellingham (born 2003), footballer Charles Bennett (1870–1948) track and field athlete Lawson Bennett (1938–2011), footballer Jack Kid Berg (Judah Bergman) (1909–1991), world champion junior welterweight boxer, Hall of Fame Richard Bergmann (1919–1970), 7-time table tennis world champion, ITTFHoF Billy Betts (1864–1941), footballer Ted Birnie (1878–1935), footballer and manager Sid Bishop (1900–1949), footballer Nick Blackman (born 1989), English-Israeli footballer Andrulla Blanchette (born 1966), IFBB professional bodybuilder Steve Bloomer (1874–1938), footballer and manager Chris Bonington (born 1934), mountaineer Bernard Bosanquet (1877–1936), cricketer Sir Ian Botham (born 1955), cricketer Mark Bott, cricketer Teddy Bourne (born 1948), Olympic épée fencer Geoffrey Boycott (born 1940), cricketer James Brae, footballer Eric Bristow (1957–2018), world champion darts player Peter Broadbent (1933–2013), footballer Johnny Brooks (1931–2016), footballer and manager Tony Brooks (1932–2022), F1 driver Steve Bruce (born 1960), footballer & manager Bobby Buckle (1869–1959), footballer Chris Buckley (1886–1973), footballer Frank Buckley (1882–1964), footballer and manager Paul Burchill (born 1979), professional wrestler Cam Burgess (1919–1978), footballer Joe Butler (1879–1941), football player Jenson Button (born 1980), 2009 Formula One World Champion Angela Buxton (1934–2020), won 1956 French Women's Doubles (with Althea Gibson) and 1956 Wimbledon Women's Doubles (with Gibson), highest world ranking #9
C
Michael Carrick (1981), footballer Herbert Chapman (1878–1934), football player and manager Sir Bobby Charlton (born 1937), member of the 1966 World Cup winning team Jack Charlton (1935–2020), member of the 1966 World Cup winning team Dave Charnley (1935–2012), lightweight boxer Charles Chenery (1850–1928), footballer and cricketer Sir Francis Chichester (1901–1972), yachtsman Ian Clough (1937–1970), mountaineer Don Cockell (1928–1983), heavyweight boxer Samuel Coe (1873–1955), first-class cricketer Chris Cohen (born 1987), footballer George Cohen (1939–2022), association football right back, World Cup champion Andy Cole (born 1971), footballer Paul Collingwood (born 1976), cricketer Peter Collins (1931–1958), F1 driver Sir Henry Cooper (1934–2011), heavyweight boxer Ralph Cooperman (1927–2009), Olympic foil and sabre fencer Steve Coppell (born 1955), footballer & manager Lisa Cross (born 1978), IFBB professional bodybuilder Sid Crowl (1888–1971), footballer Russell Cuddihey (born 1939), footballer Stan Cullis (1916–2001), footballer and manager Laurie Cunningham (1956–1989), footballer
D
Tom Daley (born 1994), youngest diver ever to compete in Olympics (participated in Beijing 2008) Lawrence Dallaglio (born 1972), World Cup winning rugby footballer Alan Davies (1933–2009), World Cup winning rugby footballer Laura Davies (born 1963), golfer Steve Davis (born 1957), six-time World Snooker Champion Matt Dawson (born 1972), World Cup winning rugby footballer John Deacon (1962–2001), motorcycle endurance racer Christopher Dean (born 1958), figure skater John Derbyshire (1878–1938), swimmer Graham Dilley (1959–2011), cricketer Percy Down (1883–1954), rugby union player, represented England and Great Britain Ted Drake (1912–1995), footballer and manager, cricketer for Hampshire County Cricket Club Fred Driver, footballer Harry Duckworth, footballer Jimmy Dugdale (1932–2008), footballer
E
Duncan Edwards (1936–1958), footballer Jonathan Edwards (born 1966), triple jump Joe Egan (1919–2012), rugby footballer Godfrey Evans (1920–1999), cricketer (wicket-keeper) Ray Evans (1933–2009), footballer Fred Ewer (1898–1971), footballer
F
James Fairburn, footballer Percy Fender, cricketer James Figg (before 1700 – 1734), prizefighter Sir Tom Finney (1922–2014) footballer Albert Firth (1937–2015), rugby footballer William Fiske (1885–1918), footballer Bob Fitzsimmons (1863–1917), boxing's first world champion in three divisions Andrew Flintoff (born 1977), cricketer Phil Foden (born 2000), footballer Septimus Francom (1882–1965), long-distance runner C. B. Fry (1872–1956), cricketer and all-round athlete Tyson Fury (born 1988), professional boxer
G
Ron Garland (1931–1989), footballer Paul Gascoigne (born 1967), football player Les Gaunt (1918–1985), footballer Dwight Gayle (born 1989), football player Steven Gerrard (born 1980), football player Graham Gooch (born 1953), cricketer Pete Goss (born 1961), around-the-world yachtsman Grantley Goulding (1874–1947), athlete W. G. Grace (1848–1915), cricketer Cyril Grant (1920–2002), footballer Jimmy Greaves (1940–2021), footballer Jack Greenwell (1884–1942), footballer and manager Mason Greenwood (born 2001), footballer Ron Greenwood (1921–2006), footballer and manager Will Greenwood (born 1972), rugby footballer
H
Ernest Hackett (1908–?), footballer Sam Haden (1902–1974), footballer and manager Naseem Hamed (born 1974), featherweight boxer Lewis Hamilton (born 1985), seven-time Formula One World Champion Harry Hampton (1885–1963), football player Ellis Hargreaves, footballer Ricky Hatton (born 1978), world champion boxer Mike Hawthorn (1929–1959), F1 World Champion David Haye (born 1980), world champion boxer Johnny Haynes (1934–2005), footballer Arthur Henfrey (1867–1929), footballer Emile Heskey (born 1978), footballer Charlie Hewitt (1884–1966), footballer and manager Damon Hill (born 1960), F1 World Champion Graham Hill (1929–1975), two times F1 World Champion Jimmy Hill (1928–2015), footballer Syd Hoar (1895–1967), footballer David Hobbs (born 1939), Former Formula One driver Jack Hobbs (1882–1963), cricketer Glenn Hoddle (born 1957), footballer Martin Hodgson (1909–1991), rugby footballer Teddy Hodgson (1885–1919), footballer Ken Holliday (1925–1999), footballer Duncan Horton (born 1967), footballer Leslie Housden (1894–1963), Olympic marathon runner William Howarth (1875–?), footballer John Howell (born 1936), Olympic long jumper Alexander Hughes (1907–1977), footballer Kenneth Hunt (1884–1949), footballer James Hunt (1947–1993), F1 World Champion Norman Hunter (1943–2020), footballer and manager Sir Geoff Hurst (born 1941), member of the 1966 World Cup winning team Nasser Hussain (born 1968), cricketer Len Hutton (1916–1990), cricketer Gus Huxford (1889–1961), footballer
I–J
David Jack (1898–1958), footballer and manager John Jackett (1878–1935), rugby union player; represented England and Great Britain Peter Jacobs (born 1938), Olympic fencer Peter Jaffe, Olympic silver (yachting; star-class) Allan Jay (1931–2023), épée and foil fencer, Olympic two-time silver, world champion Richard Jerome (born 1968), cricketer Martin Johnson (born 1970), World Cup–winning rugby union footballer Trish Johnson (born 1966), golfer Anthony Joshua (born 1989), professional boxer
K
Harry Kane (born 1993), footballer Brian Keeble (1938–2015), footballer Mike Keen (1940–2009), footballer Howard Kendall (1946–2015), footballer and manager of Everton F.C. Joe Kennedy (1925–1986), footballer Josh Kennet (born 1987), English-Israeli footballer Joseph Kenyon, footballer Amir Khan (born 1986), lightweight boxer Herbert Kingaby (1880–1934), footballer Joseph Kitchen (1890–1974), footballer Paul Klenerman (born 1963), Olympic sabre fencer
L
Frank Lampard (born 1978), footballer Dougie Lampkin (born 1976), Motorcycle Trials World Champion Mark Lazarus (born 1938), footballer, right winger Jason Leonard (born 1968), World Cup winning rugby union footballer Edward Lawrence Levy (1851–1932), English world champion weightlifter Lennox Lewis (born 1965), world champion heavyweight boxer Ted "Kid" Lewis (Gershon Mendeloff) (1893–1970), world champion welterweight boxer, Hall of Fame Josh Lewsey (born 1976), rugby footballer Jim Leytham (1879–1916), rugby footballer Billy Lindsay (1872–1933), footballer Jimmy Lindsay (1880–1925), footballer Gary Lineker (born 1960), footballer Sam Little (born 1975), professional golfer Nat Lofthouse (1925–2011), footballer James Lomas (1879–1960), rugby footballer Robert Lowe, footballer Hyman Lurie (1918–1982), table tennis player Dar Lyon, cricketer
M
Dame Ellen MacArthur (born 1976), sailor; holds world record for the fastest solo circumnavigation of the globe Ernie Machin (1944–2012), footballer George Mallory (1886–1924), mountaineer Andy Mangan (born 1986), footballer Nigel Mansell (born 1953), racing driver, F1 and CART champion Terry Marsh (born 1958), world-champion boxer Darren Matthews (born 1968), professional wrestler Stanley Matthews (1915–2000), footballer Thomas Matthews (1884–1969), cyclist Jock McAvoy (1908–1971), boxer Bill McGarry (1927–2005), footballer and manager Bertie Mee (1918–2001), footballer and manager Daniel Mendoza (1764–1836), world-heavyweight-champion boxer, Hall of Fame Sidney Merlin (1856–1952), sports shooter John Middleton (1910–1971), footballer Colin Milburn (1941–1990), cricketer Gordon Miller (born 1939), Olympic high jumper Alan Minter (1951–2020), world champion boxer Ivor Montagu (1904–1984), British national team; founder, International Table Tennis Federation Stan Mortensen (1921–1991), footballer and manager Bobby Moore (1941–1993), captain of the 1966 World Cup–winning team Stirling Moss (1929–2020), F1 driver Mason Mount (born 1999), footballer Andy Murray (born 1987), tennis player; current number-two seed Alfred Mynn (1807–1861), cricketer
N
Gary Neville (born 1975), footballer Phil Neville (born 1977), footballer Alison Nicholas (born 1962), golfer Lando Norris (born 1999), racing driver; 2025 Formula One world champion Harry Nuttall (1897–1969), footballer
O
William Oakley (1873–1934), footballer Ronnie O'Sullivan (born 1975), three time World Snooker Champion Michael Owen (born 1979), football player James Oyebola (1961–2007), heavyweight boxer
P